1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for finishing or machining metal, particularly buffers and grinders, which are contained within a cabinet and are operated from outside the cabinet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A dust containment system is desirable, which will contain the by-products from the operation of devices which machine or finish metal parts, such as in the buffing or grinding process. A dust containment system is needed to protect the worker from inhaling noxious particles, particularly in an industrial environment where workers are constantly exposed. The machines also suffer from exposure to particles or dust, particularly metal, which are the by-products of various material removal operations.
The standard prevention method for humans is to wear dust masks and goggles. The standard prevention method for the machines, and humans who do not have to operate the material removal devices, is for the grinding and buffing operations to be performed in a separate room from the rest of the factory operations. Masks and goggles are not sufficient to protect workers or machinery, even in a separate room, against the small particles or dust which is the by-product of grinding, debarring, and buffing.
Prior Art devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,318, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,911 are particularly adapted to the abrasive blasting process, not metal finishing, and have different objectives than the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,911 discloses a cabinet with arm holes enclosing a blasting gun but the vacuum pump is outside and separate from the cabinet. Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,300,318 and 5,177,911 provide gloves which are affixed to the cabinet around access holes for use by the operator performing the blasting process. The gloves are fixed in one position in the cabinet thereby severely limiting the operator's range of motion. When the operation is abrasive blasting rather than machining metal parts, having substantial range of motion is not as necessary. However, for machining metal parts, a cabinet is required which will permit the user to move his arms longitudinally, back-and-forth across the front of the cabinet. There also exists a need for a cabinet where the access holes are designed for the comfort of the worker which increases productivity.